While competing at a Prefecture Swimming Federation meet in Japan, 16-year-old sprinting phenom Rikako Ikee captured a new Japanese National Record and World Junior Record in the women’s 50m butterfly. Ikee clocked a blistering time of 25.50 to obliterate the current record of 25.93 held by Canada’s Penny Oleksiak just since June of this year.
Ikee previously held the WJR in the 50m butterfly in February of this year, originally setting it at 26.17 before Oleksiak lowered the mark more than once during 2016.
The teenage speed machine that is Ikee now owns 3 of Japan’s National Records, adding the 50m butterfly to her current World Junior Record of 24.74 in the 50m freestyle and 57.55 Japanese NR in the 100m butterfly.
Although not an Olympic event, the 50m butterfly is indicative of Ikee’s fierce speed on the short butterfly and freestyle events, enough to garner the teenager a spot on her nation’s Rio roster. She’ll be competing in Rio individually in the 100m butterfly, as well as racing on her nation’s 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle and 400m medley relays.
After her 50m butterfly victory at the Prefecture meet, Ikee also notched a super speedy mark of 54.27 in the women’s 100m freestyle to take her 2nd event of the session.
Just curious; any idea why this 25″50 is apparently not recognised by FINA? It doesn’t appear on FINA’s junior world records page (last updated on 20th March), and she just did a 25″51 at Japan Swim 2017, which was announced as a new junior world record…
By the way, this 25″50 mark was at the Mie Prefectural Championships, held in Suzuka city of Formula 1 fame. Quite fitting.
Firas – the answer usually has to do with them not submitting paperwork, not getting the pool properly measured, etc.
This could be the first Olympics were the top 8 go sub 57 in the 100 fly: Sjostrom, the Dane, McKeown, 2 Americans, Oleksiak, the Chinese, Ikee, possibly more.
Rio will be fast!:)
butterfly looks in good hands for the next generation….Oleksiak and Ikee. unfortunately, nothing on the landscape for the Americans like these talents in the fly. Does Mary T have any more eligibility?
No, but Cassidy Bayer was pretty close to her 15-16 NAGs so far.
Impressive 0.47s drop of time for Miss Ikee.
Wow! Imagine the duels between Rikako Ikee and Sara Sjostrom in a few years when both of them swim 100 fly in 54 seconds 😀 Looking forward to that!
Only on the condition that 100 fly will always stay on the first day of the competition, otherwise Sarah will be too tired and not fresh, and thus she will lose against Rikako.